Winter Motivation…

not as easy for me to find as my summer motivation. ❄ UGH ❄. If you are anything like me, finding the motivation to workout in the colder, darker months is not as easy as when it is sunny and warm out. I am not at all a cold-weather person. I would much rather be drenched in sweat on a 90 degree day than shivering and cold on a 20 degree one. Waking up in darkness and getting home from work in the dark also adds an extra layer of motivational suck that does not help the challenge of staying in shape in these months.

Coming into my first full winter on this journey, I am actually surprised how much the change of seasons has effected me. Now don’t get me wrong, I am still completely committed to staying on this much healthier path and I wont let anything derail me, but I have noticed I have had to work harder at getting myself motivated to complete my workouts…even when I don’t have to leave my living room to do so! So how do we overcome this extra obstacle?

Some of the ways I have found most useful in combating the lack of motivation in the winter are:

Make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D – I take a multivitamin that has my daily dose in it just to be sure because it is especially hard to meet the levels you need when you aren’t getting out into the sun for months! There are even special lamps you can buy that trigger your bodies production of Vitamin D if you find yourself really struggling with this. 🌞

Be diligent about planning out your weekly workouts – I keep a planner that is dedicated just to my health and fitness journey and make sure every Sunday I plan what days I will be working out, what type of workout I will be doing and which days I will be resting. My cheat meal days go on there as well! 🍟🌮

Sign up for a class – I make it a point to get to at least one yoga class a week. In these colder months it holds me accountable and actively engaged in an activity that is both good for my health and my stress levels! 🙏

Sign up for an event/activity that will take place a few months from now – I have already booked my first mud run of 2019 so I know I have something to train for and look froward to! 👟

Find a Friend! – This is a great time of year to buddy up with someone who will hold you accountable and make sure you are staying on track. Plus, sometimes it’s just more fun to workout with someone and you can always plan a coffee or hot chocolate date to reward yourselves after you complete you sweat session!🙋‍♀️

Start or continue taking pictures of yourself to track your progress – This is something I started way back in the beginning of my journey but had kinda slacked on for the last little bit. I realized I needed to start again to keep me on track but also because I am now wearing a million layers of clothes all the time so I don’t see the results like I was when short sleeves and shorts were the norm! 📷

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is also a real thing you guys! If you have never heard of it, it is a real form of depression that usually sets in during the fall months and lasts throughout the winter. This can be another huge drain on motivation and energy during this time of the year. Maintaining your exercise routine, sticking to a healthy meal plan and of course getting the necessary amount of Vitamin D is so crucial to keeping away the winter blues and staying on the right path during these cold months.

For me, the winter is another great example of how much of this journey is a mental one. Overcoming the extra lack of motivation in the winter is just a great example of your mind needing to step up and lead your body. Even using all the ideas/techniques I talked about above sometimes it just comes down to you telling yourself your desire to be healthy is stronger than the extra excuses we can all find this time of the year. It may be cold, it may be dark when you have to get that workout in, you may just wanna stay on that couch in your sweats under the blankets but choosing to be active even for just 20-30 minutes will always be worth it! Sometimes, the harder it is to get up and get the workout done the more rewarding it is when you have completed it!

Stay warm out there y’all and hope you are enjoying the holiday season so far! ✨🎁

xoxoxo,

Beth

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Published by FitAmbitiousBlonde

Hi everyone! My name is Beth and I am on a journey to improve my life through better eating and being more active! I hope my story can help someone else who may also be struggling to live their best life! Come get healthy with me!
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Yes! Winter is so much harder 🙂 I will say, sadly, one of my motivations is “At least I’ll be warm for a bit!”. My office tends to be cold, so if I work out around lunch time, I’m a lot more comfortable for a few hours.
Do you have any advice regarding keeping to a workout schedule while traveling during the holidays and/ or gyms being closed for the holidays?

That’s a great motivation lol….anything I can do to stay warm in the winter is a motivator for me as well! I travel a lot as well…just got back today from New Orleans actually! I do an at home workout that I take on the road with me that I can do right from the hotel room or my living room when Im at home. I was super skeptical going into it but I absolutely can’t live with out it anymore! Most of the workouts are about 30 minutes and they really kick my butt! It’s great for the cold days and when getting to the gym just isn’t happening! If you want more info let me know! Thanks for reading and commenting! 😊

Good post, Beth. Your suggestions are good ones, esp. the future event (I book at least 2 big cycling events a year and space them out to keep me motivated throughout the year) and vitamin D (which also helps with the immune system, I’ve learned). Thanks for writing and happy holidays! Mark

I love this post. They say summer bodies are made in winter! I just started working out just 3 weeks ago and I get so excited about it. I recently just quit smoking after 10 years and the gym has turned into a replacement. I love how it makes me feel afterwards. Im still working on my dieting but overall I’m enjoying this change!!!

I agree with every word.. so much easier to hop out and run-swim- lift-yoga when it’s warm.. though once you do get out- you realise that it is super fun to do your workout in crisp-fresh-cool air.. I think the biggest challenge is to get dressed and get started, maybe motivational treats can help. thank you for the post and happy holidays!

[…] Winter motivation – not as easy for me to find as my summer motivation. UGH . If you are anything like me, finding the motivation to workout in the colder, darker months is not as easy as when it is sunny and warm out. I am not at all a cold-weather person. I would much rather be drenched in sweat on a 90 degree day than shivering and cold on a 20 degree one. Waking up in darkness and getting home from work in the dark also adds an extra layer of motivational suck that does not help the challenge of staying in shape in these months. […]

The hard stuff is totally more worth it! I set myself an April Half Marathon goal and the excitement of getting back into running again and having a fun goal coming up definitely keeps my motivation high!

Great post! It really is hard to stick with it during the winter. I’ve found switching from outdoor activity (biking, running, hiking) to an indoor activity like swimming helps when it gets cold out. And by spring, you’re just itching to get back outside. If you haven’t tried hot yoga yet, winter is the perfect time to give it a go!

Great article! Some of my favorite activities are things that can only be done in winter like skiing, or things that are done inside. Hot yoga on a snowy day is a great option if you haven’t tried it yet!

“…your desire to be healthy is stronger than the extra excuses we can all find this time of the year.” Great comment. I also have SAD and other depression issues so winter is difficult and I have lots of issues sticking to a workout routine. Another quote I like is by Halle Berry “…confidence has always come as a result of loving myself enough to put my health and wellness first by doing the necessary work.”

Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment. That is a great quote by Halle Berry! I really started on this journey because I knew I needed to love myself enough to get and stay healthy. The winter has proven to be harder for me than I expected but I am more committed than ever to stick with it. I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season so far!! 😊🎁

This is a really lovely blog! Great points made, especially vitamin D. I didn’t realize that I was vitamin D deficient until yearly blood tests at the doctor! At one point I was so depressed from the winter my niece took me to a tanning bed for a shot of warmth. I felt so much better it was ridiculous! I guess I am a dyed in the wool sun bunny after all. Loved your article!

Thank you so much for reading and the kind words! Its crazy how most of us are Vitamin D deficient but wouldn’t even suspect it. Glad you got your diagnosed! Hope you have a healthy and happy New Year! 😊✨

We saw the sun for the first time yesterday in what seems like weeks! It is usually pretty gray and dreary here during the winter months which makes finding motivation all that much harder. But just gotta keep at it and remember the end goals! Thanks for reading and commenting! 😊🌞